From the 17th century until the mid-19th century, slavery had been a common practice in America. In 1865 slavery was abolished; however, white Americans still had many prejudices against black Americans. While black men and women worked for social equality, whites did whatever was necessary to repress them in order to maintain their social status (Dray 36-37). In addition to the general mistreatment that blacks faced on a daily basis, there were also hundreds of occasions where black men, women, and children were lynched (Dray 49). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay According to white Americans, many people believed that black people deserved this treatment. Blacks were considered inferior to whites in every way. At the end of the 1800s many intellectuals began to study the black race to strengthen their own superiority. Social Darwinism, along with other fields of scientific racism, fueled the general mentality of the Southern white American crowd and justified the treatment of Black Americans during this period. In the late 1800s, many intellectuals began studying the black race to strengthen their ideas about their own superiority. This research, known as scientific racism, led to social Darwinism. Furthermore, this research aided the general mob mentality of Southern white men and women and justified their “right” to lynch anyone they chose. Two influential researchers of the time were Charles Darwin and Robert Chambers. In the mid-1800s Darwin published his thesis, On the Origin of Species. His contribution to the scientific community has called into question many accepted theories about religion, humans and the birth of the world. From his research, he proposed that humans are not superior to animals, but belong to the same kingdom. Furthermore, he recognized that there were differences between human races, but he never explicitly stated that one was superior to another. Chambers was also studying evolution at the time. His hypothesis stated that “evolution was the progressive journey of man through time through the various races, with the Negro race the lowest stage and the Caucasian race the highest and most perfect” (Dray 95). Another famous intellectual of the time was Herbert Spencer. Studying Darwin's research, Spencer coined the term "survival of the fittest." Also known as “natural selection,” it means that the strongest survive and the weakest die. After reading Chamber's ideas, Spencer combined the two hypotheses and introduced social Darwinism to America. Social Darwinism states that the Caucasian race was the fittest and the Negro race was the weakest. Furthermore, he believed that different races had their respective social rank for a reason, making it pointless to strive for racial equality (Dray 95). Despite this, there are always people willing to fight for their rights, so white men had to find other ways to protect their social status. Before the Civil War, slavery was common practice in the South. At that time, slaves were kept submissive through various punishments such as flogging. After freedom was granted to all slaves, whites turned to harsher methods, such as death, to remind all blacks that they will always be superior. Over time, these murders gained popularity. Mobs soon formed and began lynching hundreds of blacks. This could only last so long. The South has been criticized for its needless lynchings and so has the public conscienceshe was hit. In response to this, responsible whites began to motivate their actions (Wells 58). According to Ida B. Wells, she said there were three popular reasons used during this period. Prevent the occurrence of “race riots” (Wells 58). Prevent black participation in government (Wells 59). The last excuse was rape. This excuse was accepted by the late 1800s and lasted until the early 1900s (Wells 60). From 1865 to 1872, white men used lynchings as an excuse to avoid race riots. However, according to recorded information from the time, no revolt ever occurred. Furthermore, no black rioter was ever proven guilty (Wells 59). The men quickly realized that another excuse had to be found. The next excuse emerged during Reconstruction. In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment was passed, giving black men the right to vote. White men refused to accept that black men could vote. They said it was a “white man's government” and that only white men should have any authority in the government. Hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan formed, and these mobs believed they had the right to lynch anyone they wanted. They especially persecuted black men to prevent them from exercising their right to vote. Soon after, voter participation in the black community was eliminated (Wells 59). The white men realized they needed one last excuse. From the late 1800s through the early 1900s, rape became the primary reason for lynchings. These men knew that their wives' reputations were very important and that there was no crime worse than invading the “sacred white womb” (Dray 100). Not surprisingly, rape did not happen as often as white men claimed. In many cases, the man had no intention of engaging in nonconsensual activities with these women. In fact, many cases have been reported where women were the ones instigating the affairs (Wells 31). Despite this evidence, white men refused to believe that white women could ever mix with black men. To support their opinions, many studies have been conducted. The studies conducted all branched out from a field of science known as scientific racism. One of the initial topics that gained popularity during this period was physiognomy. Physiognomy is the science of judging character based on facial features. Peter Camper, a German scientist, proposed that because blacks had “snout” noses, they were closer to animals than whites. Another popular scientific field was phrenology, the study of how human character is related to the shape of the skull. One of the leading phrenologists of the time was Dr. Samuel Morton. From his collection of over eight hundred skulls, he concluded that blacks, Chinese, and Native Americans had the least mental capacity. One of Morton's students, Josiah Nott, said that whites and blacks were two different species and that whites saved blacks from barbarism by taking them in as their slaves (Dray 96-97). This research was so powerful that it influenced people's minds, the law, and court decisions. Further examining white America's view of black men, particularly their sexual nature, Nathaniel Shaler, Agassiz, and Edward Cope presented research on the mental development of black people. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay They said that due to the closing of the skull at an early age, blacks were not mentally developed beyond the age of fourteen. Shaler went on to say that black people cannot control their sexual desires a.